By Robert Ashton

An historic agreement was reached yesterday afternoon with eight industry bodies, including the BPI and AIM, signing up to launch a new umbrella organisation that will “present a unified industry voice” to be headed by BMR chairman Andy Heath and chief executive Feargal Sharkey.

UKMusic (www.ukmusic.org) will represent the collective interests of everyone from artists to publishers and is designed to act for the industry in four key areas:
- public policy and lobbying
- external awareness and public opinion
- research and analysis
- industry relevant education and skills

The new body grows from the ashes of British Music Rights, which ceased to exist at 4.30pm on Thursday when AIM, the British Academy, BPI, MCPS-PRS Alliance, MMF, MPA, MU and PPL, signed up to a memorandum of understanding allowing BMR to expand into the cross industry organisation and change its name to UKMusic.

BMR chairman Andy Heath and chief executive Feargal Sharkey will head the new organisation. Heath says, “This is a hugely positive announcement. With such a broad and dynamic membership, UKMusic will meet 21st century challenges and expectations and promote our fantastic industry with a clear and coherent voice.”

Sharkey adds, “From the talent and creativity of songwriters, composers, artists and musicians to the vital role played by publishers, management, record labels and collecting societies, all of us within the UK’s commercial music sector are bound by strong, interconnected relationships. Through UKMusic we now have a collective vehicle to reflect and express this common ground.”

Each UKMusic member organization has elected one director to the board and for the most part they are the chairman of the representative organizations. The board members are: Alison Wenham, Tony Wadsworth, Nigel Elderton, John Smith, Jazz Summers, David Ferguson, Fran Nevrkla and Steve Porter. The board is expected to meet monthly to agree UKMusic’s programme and agenda.

BPI chairman Tony Wadsworth adds, "This is a reaction to the fact that we felt that the Government could do a hell of a lot more for the creative industries, particularly the music industry and it needs to hear that clearly.

"There is a lot of anger and frustration among all the creative industries around the support we should be getting from the Government."